London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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51
Methods of Treatment:—
Scabies: Persons attending for treatment are given a hot bath
for twenty to thirty minutes, thoroughly dried, and Benzyl Benzoate
applied to the whole of the body. This is repeated on alternate days,
there being three treatments in all.
Verminous heads: The hair is treated with a preparation containing
cotton-seed oil, tar oil, paraffin oil and oil of lemon grass, and
then washed with a shampoo of soft soap and borax. It is then dried
thoroughly, combed with a Sacker's comb to remove nits, washed,
dried and combed again. The operation takes approximately half an
hour for each child, and a final check is made by the Sister in attendance.
The Council have two flats attached to the Personal Cleansing
Station for the temporary use in emergency of people or a family
displaced, usually following fumigating procedure. The Council have
agreed that these shelters may be used for Wandsworth residents at
an annual fee of £25 for the right to use the shelters and a weekly
charge of £1 10s. Od. per shelter for every case sent there.
| Details of Bodies Received | Usual Place of Residence | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batter-sea | Wandsworth | Elsewhere | Residence unknown | ||
| Post-mortem only | 179 | 650 | 155 | 10 | 994 |
| Post-mortem and inquest | 24 | 112 | 37 | 3 | 176 |
| 203 | 762 | 192 | 13 | 1,170 | |
| Inquest only | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
| 24 | 114 | 38 | 3 | 179 | |
| Sanitary and other reasons | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| Total bodies received | 205 | 765 | 193 | 13 | 1,176 |
| Verdicts at Inquests held — | |||||
| Accidental | 9 | 57 | 31 | 2 | 99 |
| Alcoholism | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 |
| Natural causes | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| industrial disease | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| Open verdict | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Suicide | 11 | 45 | 2 | — | 58 |
| Womicide | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Referred to higher court | — | 3 | — | — | 3 |
| TOTAL | 24 | 114 | 38 | 3 | 179 |
In addition to the above, a further fifty inquests were held at the
Coroner's Court in respect of which no bodies were received into the